Remote control device for commercial phonographs



Sept 18,1934- .1.V E. RENHOLDT 1,974,055l

REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE FOR COMMERCIAL PHONOGRAPHS Filed Feb. 16. 1933 A ORNEYS Patented Sept. 1.8, 1934 l f STATES REMOTE f CONTROL nnvron FOR COMMERCIAL rnoNoGnArHs John E. Renholdt, Bridgeport', Conn., assigner to Dictaphone Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 16, 1933', serial' Na. 657,018

1o claims. (c1. 'r4- 14) This invention relates to remote control devices for commercial phonographs.

An object of the invention is to provide asimple, sensitive and practical device for controlling l5 a function of a commercial phonograph.

Another object is to provide a simple and reliable means for converting successive similarly directed impulses into reciprocatory motion in orderY to renderv operative or inoperativesome lo function of the machine to be controlled.

Another object is to provide a simple and practical duplex control unit which will be convenient for hand manipulation at a distance from the phonograph, as upon a typewriter desk in ad-- jacencey to the front of a typewriter.

-Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

This V'invention accordingly consists inthe fea tures of construction, combination of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in' the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the applicationl of which will be indicatedin the following claims.

1n the accompanying drawing, in which is shown vone of the various'possible embodiments of this invention, f A ff Fig. 1 is aperspective View of a transcribers phonograph of a knowntype and my control device remotely connected therewith; .3c- Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on line 2 2 of Fig. 3; 1

Fig. 3 is va'plan View of my device with the cover and operating levers removed, thestart-and-stop device being in the condition that normally ex v'.'}'5` ists before the transcribing machine has been set in operation; l 1

' Fig-4 is a similar-viewof the start-and-stop device with the parts in the positionk they will momentarily occupywhen the deviceis manipu- 4o lated to start the machine; Y

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the start-and-stop device as the parts thereof'stand at-thefendlfof thestarting operation; and- Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken on line 'ES-6 of Fig. 3,

In the use of the commercial phonograph for reproducing dictation which is to b e transcribed by the typist, it is often desirable to support the remote control device in a Aposition convenient to thehands of the typist as she transcribes the d ictated'niatter upon 'a typewriter. My present inventionis incorporatedin' a'unit device for controlling the start-and-stopand backspacingoperations'of a well-known type of dictation' transcribing machine. Whilenot so shown, it Will be understood that during transcription the unit device will be placed upon the edge of the typists desk. or upon any suitable support therefor, in a position suitably adjacent the front bar .of the typewriter, where she may conveniently operate the control levers without any material dislocation of her hands from typing position.

In the drawing a vtranscribing machine 10 is shown remotely connected by means of a duplex air conduit 1l with the duplex remote control device 12.' This device comprises air cylinders' 13 and 14 connected respectively with start-and-stop mechanism and with backspace mechanism upon the phonograph by means of air conduits 15 and 16. With reference to the backspace control, itl

will be sufficient to say that successive depressive actuation of the lever 17 and piston 18 causes the carriage 19 ofthe phonograph to be backspaced step-by-step from right to. left, as viewed in Fig. 1. As this feature of the control device forms per se nopart of the presentinvention, further description thereof is believed unnecessary other than' to say that the cylindervvli is vertically supported adjacent one end of an elongated base plate 20 which supports at its other end a. startand-stop control device embodying some of the more specificvfeatur'es of my present invention. This device is indicated generally by reference numeral 21.

' The above mentioned backspace lever 17 is pivo'tally mounted upon and disposedl above a rectangular-housing 22, which fitsv down over the said control devices and which may be secured to the base plate bymeansof screws 23, threaded into lugs 24 struck up from said base plate at points along the longitudinal edges thereof. A rearwardly extending base plate flange 25 cooperates with 'a clamping member 26 and screws 27 rigidly to connect the ends of the conduits 15 and 16' with Vair pipes 28 and .29 leading respectively to the cylinders of the backspace and. the start-ande` stop controlmechanism. Lever 17depresses piston 18 against the-reaction of aspringSO by contact with the `upper end of a'piston rod. 3l.v passing through-a bushingY 32 engaging the edges of anaperture in the top of the housing. i.

Having described generally my duplex remote controldev'ice, I willnow describe in detail the start-and-stop mechanism 21 with whichv the present invention is largely concerned. This comprises the air cylinder 13, an air moving pis-- ton 33,*ng'erpiec'e or operating lever 34 and a specialand very sensitive form of escapement device, indicated generally by the referencenumeral 35. -vIt' is the object ofthe escapementvmechanisni vrs to move the piston 33 from its outer position, as shown, to the inner end of the cylinder 13 when the lever 34 is depressed. Upon release of the lever 34 it is returned to its normal raised position by the reaction of a spring 36 extending between a downturned arm 37 of said lever and a pin 38 secured to a wall of the housing 22, but the piston remains at the inner end of the cylinder, as will presently be described.

During the movement of the piston toward the inner end of the cylinder the air in the cylinder is forced through conduit 15 with sufficient pressure to operate a suitable start-and-stop device on the transcribing machine, to set the machine in effective operation. A succeeding depression of lever 34 actuates the escapement mechanism to return the piston 33 to its original position and by recession of the air inthe conduit 15 to return the said start-and-stop device on the machine to its inoperative positon and to stop operation of the machine.

The vcylinder 13` is secured in a horizontal position about midway between the ends of the base plate 20 by means of screws 39 which pass through holes in an upright bracket 40. The bracket 40 is preferably provided by cutting the base plate along lines forming three sides of a rectangle and then bending the material of the base plate along the uncut side of the rectangle until the lug so formed stands at right angles to the base plate. The piston 33 is provided with a wrist pin 42 which provides pivotal connection for an offset pistonV operating link 43. By reference to Figs. 2 and 6, it will be seen that the start-and-stop lever 34 is provided with a pair of downturned arms and 46 which after passing through openings 44 in the top of the housing are pivotally supported upon a pivot member 47 secured in the side walls of the housing in any desired manner. The arm 46 is extended downwardly and inwardly below the pivot to form .the lever arm 37.

g At its lower end lever arm 37 passes through a opening 48 provided adjacent an end of a flat slide member 49 which is mounted to reciprocate longitudinally of the housing upon a pair of bosses or seats 50 and 51 formed on the base plate. The slide is guided in its path of travel by means of a shoulder screw 52 which passes through a long slot 53 in said slide and is threaded into the boss 50, and pin 54 which is secured to boss 51 and passes through a long slot 55 in the slide. The head of screw 52 is larger in diameter than the width of slot 53 and serves to prevent the slide from lifting olf its seat. At its outer end the slide is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed pawl notches 56 and 57 which are adapted to cooperate respectively with avpair of pawls 59 and 60. These pawls are pivotally mounted at opposite ends of the lower arm 6l of a pawl lever comprising the long lower arm 61 and a shorter arm 62 disposed in spaced parallel relation to 61 and connected thereto by an intermediate section 63. Pin 54 passes through apertures in both arms of said pawl lever and constitutes a pivot about which the pawl lever is adapted to oscillate. A screw 64 threaded into the upper end of pin 54 holds the pawl lever in place.

The pawls 59, are connected by means-of a link 65 pivotally secured to pawl 60 and connected to pawl 59 by means of a pin-and-slot connection, thus permitting limited motion of the pawls relative to one another. The pawls are biased toward one another by means of a spring 66. Adjacent the intermediate section 63 of the pawl lever the upper arm f62 thereof is pivotally conmovesl the slide 49 to the right.

nected to the outer end of piston link 43 by means of a screw 67. symmetrically disposed with respect to pivot pin 54 and projecting outwardly from the pawl lever arm 61 is a cam member 68 adapted to cooperate with a pawl 69 resiliently to hold the pawl lever in one or the other of the extreme positions to which it is capable of being oscillated. This pawl is pivoted between its ends by means of a screw 70 to the base plate 20 and is held against the cam member 68 by means of a spring 71 connected to an extension of said pawl and to a pin 75'secured to the base plate.

The operation is as follows; the parts of the device being in the position shown in Fig. 3: When the operator depresses the lever 34, its arm 37 During this movement the engagement of the pawl 59 with notch 56 causes the pawl lever to be oscillated about its pivot to the position shown in Fig. 4 and finally to the position shown in Fig. 5, in the last of which positions the pawl lever is held by engagement of the end of the pawl 69 with a face of the cam projection 68. In Fig. 4 the pawl 69 is shown riding over the high point of the cam. During this rocking movement of the pawl lever the link 43 is moved to the right forcing the piston 33 to its inner position within the cylinder 13. As said above, this movement of the piston results in putting the phonograph in eiective operation.

The lever 34 is now released by the operator, returning to its raised position and also returning the slide 49 to its original left-hand position. During this return movement of the slide the pawl 59 is lifted out of notch 56 and rides along the edge of the slide to a position to the right of said notch. These combined movements will cause the opposite pawl 60 to engage the notch 57 and sets the device for manipulation to stop the phonograph. This is accomplished by again depressing the lever 34 which again draws the slide to the right and reversing the oscillation of the pawl lever, returns the latter to its original posi- ,'tion, thus withdrawing the piston 33 to its outer position in the cylinder. All of the parts now stand as they did originally and the phonograph is stopped and remains inactive until further manipulation of the control lever 34.

While I have embodied my control in a pneumatic device it will be apparent that it will serve equally Well for controlling a switch member where electrically actuatedstart-and-stop mechanism is employed upon the phonograph; or for operating a Bowden-wire or other mechanical device.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is tol be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanylng drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

l. In control devices of the nature described, in combination, a cylinder and piston, a lever controlling the movement of said piston, a reciprocatory slide, slide-operating means, and pivotally mounted slide-engaging means on said lever responsive to movement of said slide in one direction only for alternately rocking said lever in opposite directions.

2. In control devices of the nature described, in combination, a cylinder and piston, a lever controlling the movement of said piston, a reciprocatory slide, slide-operating means, and a pair of pawls on s aid lever resiliently engaging said slide and responsive to movementI of said slide in one direction only for alternately rocking said lever in opposite directions.

3. In control devices of the nature described, in combination, a cylinder and piston, a lever controlling the movement of said piston, a reciprocatory slide, slide-operating means, a pair of resiliently connected pawls pivotally mounted on said lever, and means on said slide responsive to movement of said slide in one direction only for alternately engaging said pavvls to rock said lever in opposite directions.

4. In control devices of the nature described, in combination, a cylinder and piston, a lever controlling the movement of said piston, a reciprocatory slide, a pair of pawls on said lever resiliently engaging said slide and responsive to movement of said slide in one direction only for alternately rocking said lever in opposite directions, manual means for moving said slide in said one direction, and resilient means for moving said slide in the opposite direction.

5. In control devices of the nature described, in combination, a cylinder and piston, a lever controlling the movement of said piston, a reciprocatory slide, a pair of resiliently connected pawls pivotally mounted on said lever, means on said slide responsive to movement of said slide in one direction only for alternately engaging said pawls to rock said lever in opposite directions, manual means for moving said slide in said one direction, and resilient means for moving said slide in the opposite direction.

6. A remote control device for phonographs comprising, in combination, a cylinder and piston, power-transmitting means connected to said cylinder and extending to said phonograph, va lever controlling the movement of said piston, a reciprocatory slide, slide-operating means, and pivotally mounted slide-engaging means on said lever responsive to movement of said slide in one direction only for alternately rocking said lever in opposite directions.

7. A remote control device for phonographs comprising, in combination, a cylinder and piston, power-transmitting means connected to said cylinder and extending to said phonograph, a lever controlling the movement of said piston, a reciprocatory slide, slide-operating means, and a pair of pawls on said lever resiliently engaging said slide and responsive to movement of said slide in one direction only for alternately rocking said lever in opposite directions.

V8. In control devices of the nature described,

in combination, a movable member, a lever coni;

trolling the movement of said member, a reciproon said lever responsive to movement of said slide in one direction only for imparting a rocking movement to said lever.

9. In control devices of the nature described, in combination, a movable member, a lever controlling the movement of said member, a reciprocatory slide, slide-operating means, and pawls on said lever responsive to movement of said slide in one direction only for alternately rocking said lever in opposite directions.

10. In control devices of the nature described, in combination, a movable member, a lever controlling the movement of said member, a reciprocatory slide, slide-operating means, and pivotally mounted slide-engaging means on said lever responsive to movement of said slide in one direction only for alternately rocking said lever in opposite directions.

JOHN E. RENHOLDT. 

